The University of Toledo

College of Business Honors Program

Dr. Thomas Sharkey
Director
Stranahan Hall-South, Room 1040
Phone: 419.530.2285

Jennifer McDowell Tharpe
Academic Adviser
Stranahan Hall-North, Room 3130
Phone: 419.530.2087

Kari Dilworth
Adviser/Recruiter
Stranahan Hall-North, Room 3130
Phone: 419.530.2087

College of Business and Innovation students have two elite Honors Programs available to them. The first, the University Honors Program has been available at The University of Toledo for more than 40 years and has been offered in the College of Business since 1987 with its first graduate in 1990. Currently, over 800 students university-wide participate in the highly selective University Honors Program. Students may apply to the University Honors Program as entering freshmen or as transfer students from other universities' honors programs.

The second Honors Program available to College of Business students is the Departmental Honors Program to which students may apply during their last term in the lower division in the College of Business. The specialized Departmental Honors Program has been offered since 1997. Annually, out of approximately 3,000 undergraduate students, the College of Business enrolls a combined total of no more than 100 students in its Honors Programs.

The advantages of being a student in the Honors Program are numerous and include:

• small class sizes, usually no more than 25 students
• specially designed, interactive courses
• courses taught by outstanding faculty
• individualized academic advising
• preference for on-campus housing
• priority course registration
• membership in the Student Honors Council
• research opportunities
• funding opportunities for research and study abroad
• networking opportunities with corporate executives
• discounted tickets to regional cultural events
• recognition at graduation
• preparation for graduate/professional degrees
• excellent employment opportunities

Honors Program students typically enroll in one or two Honors courses each term. Students complete a minimum of 40 semester credit hours of Honors course work to earn the University Honors designation and a minimum of 18 credit hours for the Departmental Honors designation. Students enrolled in either of the Honors Programs complete the same minimum total number of credit hours (126 hours) for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree as students enrolled in the non-Honors degree program.

The Honors curriculum is comprehensive and spans University Core, business core, and major requirements. Students in the University Honors Program enroll in Readings Conference I and II in place of English composition courses. Other required courses include Honors sections of Orientation for Business Students, Introduction to Business, Financial Accounting, Management, Marketing Principles, Manufacturing Systems, and Corporate Finance. Students complete one Honors course in their major or an Honors course in each of their majors if they have more than one. During their senior year, in their Senior Business Policy Forum class, Honors Program students are guided by faculty mentors through the writing of an Honors thesis or project. For a complete list of the requirements for the Honors program, refer the University Undergraduate Catalog.

Admission to the University Honors Program is competitive and based on high school grade point average (GPA), ACT or SAT scores, an essay, an extracurricular resume, and references. Students entering The University of Toledo directly from high school with a minimum 3.75 GPA (4.0 scale) and a minimum ACT composite score of 28 (SAT composite of 1260) are strongly encouraged to apply to the Honors Program.

Highly motivated students with a minimum 3.5 GPA and a minimum ACT composite score of 25 (SAT composite score of 1140) will be considered for admission to the Honors Program.  All admissions to the Honors Program are granted on a space-available basis.

High school students who are interested in the Honors Program and who meet the minimum qualifications are strongly advised to apply the University Honors Program even if they aren't ready to make a 100% commitment to the program. Once accepted, a student can opt to change to the non-Honors degree program without loss of credits whereas gaining late acceptance to the Honors Program cannot be guaranteed. All applicants are encouraged to apply early. For additional information, click here.

Admission to the Departmental Honors Program is also competitive and is based on university grade point average, an essay, an extracurricular resume, and references. The minimum GPA required for admission is 3.3 (4.0 scale; UT and higher education GPA's) although successful candidates often possess higher GPA's. Applications may be submitted during the student's final term in the College of Business lower division prior to registration for upper division courses. For additional information, contact the Student Services Center, Stranahan Hall-North 3130, 419.530.2087.